Greatest Australian player since 1989

[Craig]

Vote away in the poll (TBF this will take a wee while when I click "submit" so apologies in advance). Players like Mark Taylor, Allan Border, Steve Waugh will still be picked since the likes of Waugh and Taylor played the majority of their Tests and had the most amount of success since then.

Also apologies if I miss anybody, I am only human afterall but I will try my best.

 

[Richard]

Either Stephen Waugh or Glenn McGrath - it might take a while for me to make-up my mind. Shane Warne certainly fair for consideration too, and likewise Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist.

Those who number in "big contributors but not very top of tree" would include... Mark Taylor, David Boon, Allan Border (at this stage), Ian Healy, Merv Hughes, Craig McDermott, Mark Waugh, Michael Slater, Jason Gillespie, Justin Langer, Damien Martyn and, yes, Matthew Hayden.

 

[Richard]

Reckon I'll go for McGrath on the premise that Australia have become synonomous with "win" and you can't win without bowlers however good your batsmen are.

 

[Craig]

Gotta love the irrelevant 11th option.

 

[Richard]

BTW, just a quick note on Border - from 1989 to his retirement in 1993/94, he averaged 53.73 against England, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, New Zealand and India, and "only" 33.50 against the two most powerful attacks, West Indies and South Africa. He was still a fine player but not quite what he had been in the 1980s.

Given he was 34 in 1989, though, and still batted at number-four for the next three years, he was still pretty amazing though.

 

[weldone]

Either Stephen Waugh or Glenn McGrath - it might take a while for me to make-up my mind. Shane Warne certainly fair for consideration too, and likewise Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist.

That was exactly my first thought when I saw that poll...If it were after 1984, it would have been tougher...But after 1989 McGrath wins it over him by a small margin (though Waugh was at his best after 1989)...The margin gets a little wider if we consider ODIs too (though I am not)...

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Gotta love the irrelevant 11th option.

I thought Number 5 was the irrelevant option.

 

[Ikki]

Warne is the stand-out in this period. Lead from the front, it's just a shame he wasn't captain. I think equal second to both McGrath and Ponting who start establishing themselves moreso from late-90s. Actually, after some more thought, S Waugh is probably with the latter two phenoms as well. Edit again, add Gilchrist too.

 

[_Ed_]

Obviously Warne and McGrath are the leading contenders, but I think it's ridiculous that Steve Waugh has 0 votes so I'll give him mine. Outstanding batsman and captain.

 

[howardj]

Gotta be Macca.

The only man with flawless stats against everyone, everywhere.

 

[iamdavid]

Warne.....it comes down to him and McGrath for me.

But the fact Warne influenced plenty of games with the bat and in the field aswell tips things in his favour, whereas McGrath probably only influenced three of his 100 odd tests with his batting or fielding lol.

I know India had the better of him, but also the fact that Warne seemed to step up more often when all seemed lost (99 world cup stands out, 2005 Ashes series and Adelaide 06/07 aswell)

 

[NUFAN]

Oh ah it's gotta be Glenn Mcgrath.

 

[Prince EWS]

As many have said, pretty close between McGrath and Warne. McGrath was comfortably the better bowler (IMO anyway) but Warne added so much to the team with his general leadership qualities, slip fielding and occassionally even with the bat.

Ended up going with McGrath but I wouldn't argue Warne.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Sort of depends on how you define greatest. The rise of McGrath is most closely linked with Australia's period at the top IMO, and he also has close to the best record compared to his peers as well. I think Warne influenced more games on an individual level during the period though. And then there's the fact that Gilchrist is probably the easiest walk-up start in an All-time XI of the bunch. Ponting and Waugh also deserve consideration for being, at different times, the best batsman in the world and an anchor in the batting lineup, and having a big impact on key series in establishing Australia at the top, particularly Waugh vs the West Indies early on.

In terms of having the biggest impact on Australia's winning record, it's Warne IMO. Tough one to call though.

 

[ret]

Warne

 

[James_W]

Went with McGrath in the end, was very close between him and Warne. McGrath has just been amazing against everyone he has faced.

 

[Matt79]

Warne was the most special and irreplaceable IMO

 

[Richard]

Haha, wow, expected it to be a fair two-horse race, but currently it's McGrath 13, Warne 10, Stephen Waugh Edmunds' token vote and 2 for the irrelevant option.

Fairly obvious who were the two key figures then, fair to say.

 

[andyc]

Good thing we had the poll to tell us that.

 

[silentstriker]

Glenn McGrath, and its not close. Warne is more irreplaceable though due to the general difficulty of having a great spin bowler, but that doesn't make him a better player than Pidge.